ACT and SAT are the two major entrance examinations accepted by American colleges and universities. Scores are used as part of the admission process and to award scholarship money.

Colby said about 5,000 test centers administer the ACT on designated national test dates. Test answer packages are sent to the Iowa center for grading. He said most arrive within a week or two.

Though Mariner was the test site, it was not administered by the Mukilteo School District, where this year students will be able to take the ACT during the school day for free.

“We are relieved the tests were found and are now safely in the hands of ACT for processing,” district spokeswomen Diane Bradford said in an email.

Colby said the company is in the process of scoring the tests now.

He said all of the students whose tests went missing took the writing test, and those scores usually take around two weeks to be posted. The writing test must be scored by two different human graders. The multiple choice tests are scored by machine.

“But we are expediting this and will do our best to get them posted sooner than that,” he said.

Students were automatically registered to take the ACT test on Sept. 14 for free and will still be refunded their June test fees, he said.

“So, a happy resolution, as we had hoped,” Colby said.

Brad Greenfield’s daughter Lindsey was among the 40 whose tests were missing. Lindsey, a Kamiak High School senior, has been studying for a retake. She’d hoped to be able to review the June test results sooner for any missed answers in order to improve in those areas.

“She was happy they were found so she gets a score back from all of her hard work and effort,” Greenfield said. “I wish it hadn’t happened. I’m glad they found them. But finding them this late doesn’t necessarily help us out.”